802 Tour at the Walker; Hiromi plays the Dakota

Friday, March 23

Blurring Boundaries

WHAT: The 802 TourWHERE: Walker Art Center, MinneapolisWHEN: 8 p.m.

They’re the new music mafia: composer Nico Muhly, avant-folkie Sam Amidon, singer-songwriter Doveman, and violist Nadia Sarota. Based mostly in Brooklyn, they’ve obliterated the distinctions between classical, folk, and pop music, and in a way that has made them both hip and critically acclaimed. Here, they’ll be backed by the local Laurels String Quartet. Learn more at walkerart.org.

Friday, March 23

Balanchine is Back

WHAT: Houston BalletWHERE: Orpheum Theatre, MinneapolisWHEN: 8 p.m.

The legacy of both George Balanchine and the Ballet Russe rests, however improbably, in southern Texas, where the Houston Ballet has kept classical ballet vital. Romance is foremost in this evening of pieces new and classic, including an award-winning pas de deux and an examination of three couples’ dramatic relationships, sped through like time-lapse photography. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org.

Saturday, March 24

New Soul

The young and vibrant Chastity Brown, sporting the best hair this side of Esperanza Spalding, releases Back-Road Highways, a new mix of roots music, soul, and blues unique to the Twin Cities. The folk/pop band Romantica opens. Learn more at thecedar.org.

Saturday, March 24

Dark Laughter

WHAT: Mike DoughtyWHERE: Woman’s Club, MinneapolisWHEN: 8 p.m.

The former frontman of Soul Coughing, a band much beloved in the Twin Cities, reads from his new memoir, The Book of Drugs, a wry and gleefully dark recounting of addiction and the band’s bitter dissolution. He’ll also perform and take questions. Learn more at womansclub.org.

Sunday, March 25

Hebrew-centric Cinema

Two weeks of movies from a Jewish perspective include As Seen Through These Eyes (Sunday at noon), a documentary of artists rebelling against Hitler, narrated by Maya Angelou. Other highlights: My First Wedding (Mi Primera Boda), a popular comedy from Argentina about a mixed marriage; and Naomi, an Israeli thriller about an astrophysics professor’s obsessive love with his young wife. Learn more at sabesjcc.org.

Sunday, March 25

Brazen Jazz

For sheer drama, it’s hard to think of an artist in almost any medium who can equal pianist Hiromi, a force of personality translating into some of the most virtuosic, joyful music being made today. She returns to the Dakota with a bassist, drummer, and a slew of new tunes. Learn more at dakotacooks.com.